Not Alone
by Roze Hime-sama
Summary: One night, Tenma returns home, only to find that his parents died in a car crash. Tsurugi notices that Tenma is acting abnormal at school, and tries to help him, uncovering his feelings along the way. KyouTen
1. Chapter 1

Hi! This is a KyouTen fic I've been dying to publish-

J: Yeah, a pity that it won't happen literally.

It's rude to interrupt, J! And for your royal information, I was typing out the fourth chapter of Literally before this. Disclaimer!

Tsurugi: NemesisGoddessOfRevenge does not own IE or any of its characters. Thankfully, we belong to Level-5, or else there would be a lot of SaruFei, TakuRan and-

KyouTen! Enjoy~ P.S. Please vote in my poll!

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Not Alone Ch.1

"I'm home!" Tenma opened the door of Aki's mansion and stepped inside. "Hello?" Tenma called out. The house was dark, and most of the lights were off.

"Tenma?" A man's voice said.

"Ichinose-san! Where's Aki-nee? Why is the house so dark?" Tenma recognized Ichinose Kazuya, Aki's boyfriend from America.

Ichinose looked uncomfortable. "You see, Tenma, your parents…." He trailed off and stared into the distance. "I'd better let Aki tell you."

He led Tenma to Aki's bedroom. Tenma heard soft sobbing from inside.

"Aki-nee?" Tenma said cautiously.

Aki looked up, her face stained with tears. "Your parents… they…died in a car crash."

Tenma stood fixed to the floor, completely frozen. His parents…were dead? "No!" Tenma cried out. "That can't be true!"

Ichinose put a heavy hand on Tenma's shoulder. "Tenma, I know it's hard for you to take this in, but…" He took a deep breath. "It's true."

"No!" Tenma shrugged Ichinose's hand off. "They can't be gone!" He sank down to the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks. He started sobbing, and stayed there, unmoving, until the first rays of dawn shone through the blinds of the curtains.

At school, Tenma was a total train wreck. He kept bursting into tears during lesson time, catching sympathetic glances from a certain navy-haired striker.

"Are you okay, Tenma?" Tsurugi asked, tapping his best friend on the shoulder. "What's wrong? You can confide in me."

Now, it was very, very rare for Tsurugi Kyousuke to show a gentle and warm side at school. This side was normally shown to Yuuchi, Kyousuke's parents and Tenma. Why Tenma? Because Tsurugi had a mega-crush on him.

Tenma ignored his friend's question. "Nothing."

Tsurugi frowned. "Sure?"

Tenma just turned away, and continued sobbing. Seeing that his efforts were to no avail, Tsurugi left Tenma alone.

During the whole school day, Tenma was in a trance, doing what others told him to do, but entirely not paying attention.

At soccer practice, Tsurugi finally snapped. He couldn't stand seeing his best friend-ahem, crush-act like that. He cornered Tenma.

Tenma's eyes widened when he saw Tsurugi's hard gaze boring into him. "Matsukaze Tenma. What's bothering you?" The navy-haired boy shook Tenma.

"My… my…." Tenma swallowed. "My parents died in a car crash." He instantly burst into fresh tears.

Tsurugi's gaze softened. "I'm really sorry, Tenma. I shouldn't have pressed that information out of you like that."

Tenma rubbed his eyes. "It's okay."

"Do you want me to escort you home?" Once the words were out of Tsurugi's mouth, he mentally face-palmed himself for doing so.

"Y-yes. Thanks, Tsurugi!" Tenma showed a shadow of his normally cheerful self, but then continued crying.

Tsurugi sighed, and sat down beside Tenma. "If there's anything else bothering you, come and talk to me, okay?"

"Y-yeah." Slowly, Tenma calmed down, and his sobbing ceased. After a few minutes, Tenma's eyes drooped and-as the result of lack of sleep-closed, his head resting on Tsurugi's shoulder.

Tsurugi blushed. Now, what was he supposed to do? Shake his crush until he woke up? Or, leave him there in the open alone? Or even… stay in the same position until Tenma woke up by himself-and face the ribbing of the soccer club.

Not given any opportunity to decide, Tsurugi just sat there and closed his eyes. By some weird coincidence, he fell asleep as well. He was aware of a few fuzzy shapes in front of him, moving around and talking in barely audible voices.

"Aw, that's just so sweet. Let me take a photo!"

"Stop it, Kariya! I don't think that they'd appreciate it, especially Tsurugi. Should we wake them up, Shindou?"

"No. Kirino, go and tell Endou Kantoku that Tsurugi and Tenma are not participating in practice today. Tenma needs some rest, and Tsurugi probably wants to stay with him."

"Okay. Kariya, what are you doing?"

A click could be heard, followed by a bright flash that forced Tsurugi's eyes open. He saw Kirino standing near the door, clearly on his way to find Endou. Shindou was frowning at the inappropriate behavior of Kariya, and Kariya was holding-oh, god- a camera.

Tsurugi woke up fully and glared at the teal-haired offender. "What are you doing, Kariya?"

Kariya laughed nervously. "I, er, just took a couple of photos of Tenma sleeping with his head on your shoulder?"

Tsurugi growled. "Get out, and let Tenma sleep in peace."

Kariya smirked, tasting a chance for blackmailing the navy-haired striker. "And if I stay here and, say for example, email these pictures to the school newspaper?"

Tsurugi's response caught Kariya off guard. "Please, just leave us alone. Tenma hasn't slept for the whole night. I don't really care about the photos."

Kariya was speechless. Was Tsurugi… begging him to leave them alone? Then, Kariya shrugged. "Fine, have it your way." He left the camera on the floor, and went out.

Tsurugi turned his attention back to the sleeping brunet. Tenma was fast asleep, his mouth open. Little puffs of air were coming out of his nose and mouth.

Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, Tsurugi saw that it was already five p.m. He shook Tenma lightly. "Tenma. It's time to wake up."

Tenma gave no response, and continued to sleep. Suddenly, Tsurugi had an idea. Putting his hands on Tenma's tummy, he started tickling Tenma.

With a startled yelp, Tenma woke up. He giggled. "What… was… that… for, Tsu-Tsurugi?!"

"You wouldn't wake up," Tsurugi shrugged nonchalantly, feigning an expression of innocence, but there was a cheeky smile on his face.

"Hey!" Tenma tickled Tsurugi back.

Tsurugi laughed out loud, and moved closer to Tenma. "I'll get you back," he whispered in Tenma's ear. He blew air into Tenma's ear, earning a shiver from Tenma.

Tenma reached up and tugged on a spikey lock of Tsurugi's hair. "Stop it!" Tenma grinned widely. Then, his expression changed drastically. "Oh no, Aki-nee will be mad if I go home late and—"It appeared that he had remembered the deaths of his parents, and he started sobbing again.

"Don't cry, Tenma." Tsurugi tried to comfort Tenma. "It's time to go home."

Tenma clung onto Tsurugi's arm. "Okay," he said quietly, tears still running down his cheeks.

Once they were out of the school, Tenma suddenly stopped. "Oh, I just remembered. I have to pick up something for Aki-nee. It's one train stop away from here."

Tsurugi frowned. "Don't go today. You need more rest."

"I… I don't want to disappoint her." Tenma sniffed.

"I'll go with you." Tsurugi said.

"It'll be fine! There's no need for you to help me so much—"Tenma's eyes grew wide when Tsurugi touched a finger to his lips, silencing him effectively.

"Maybe you can cope on your own, but…" Tsurugi trailed off, looking embarrassed. "I want to help you as much as I can."

Fresh tears welled up in Tenma's eyes. He managed a half-smile in gratitude. "Thank you, Tsurugi."

* * *

Oh my god, that was so lame!

Tenma: You're a meanie!

It's just a story, dude! If it weren't for the deaths of your parents, Tsurugi wouldn't comfort you, and you guys wouldn't get together in the end! XD

Tsurugi: /blushing/ We get your point.

Reviews, please!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm just killing myself typing this... I've got this science fair thing going through and I'm so busy that I think I'm going crazy! Anyways... I don't own IE or any of its characters. They all belong to Level-5! P.S. Please vote in my poll! Enjoy~

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Not Alone Ch.2

On the way to the train station, Tenma kept on stealing sideway glances at Tsurugi. The dark striker had been renowned for being a fast walker, but yet he was pacing his steps carefully today, letting Tenma catch up with him easily.

As usual, Tsurugi had stuck both of his hands inside his pockets, but instead of a calm look on his face, he actually looked troubled and slightly worried. Tenma wondered why.

"Tenma?" Tsurugi asked. "What's the name of the street the shop is?"

Tenma told him. Tsurugi turned even paler than usual, which was almost impossible since his skin was already very pale.

"Isn't that the street which is famous for its gangsters who rule the place and frequently terrorize citizens?" Tsurugi raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yes," Tenma replied, fiddling with a lock of his hair. He couldn't look Tsurugi in the eye, because every time he did that, his heart would do a crazy tap-dance. "But they don't bother me, since I normally go the long way to avoid them."

"You sure? And what will they do when they see you in… such a weak state?" Tsurugi looked at Tenma. "I mean, no offence, but it's easy to see that you've been crying."

Tenma wiped at his eyes again. They were, indeed, rimmed with red and wet at the edges. "It'll be okay," he told Tsurugi. "I'm with you, so it should be safe—"Tenma broke off, blushing hard. What did he mean by that?

Tsurugi showed no reaction to Tenma's blushing. "Okay, then. Let's go." He quickened his pace.

Tenma walked a few paces behind Tsurugi. He didn't want Tsurugi to worry about him. There had to be a lot on Tsurugi's mind already, since Yuuchi was about to undergo the surgery for his legs soon.

The rest of their walk passed in a queer silence. Tenma kept looking away from Tsurugi, and the latter allowed himself a smile at the notice of his crush's action. But they didn't say a word to each other.

When they arrived at the station, they went to buy tickets, pushing through the massive throng of people waiting for their respective trains. Jostling through the gates, they waited patiently on the platform for their train. Soon, the train came to a stop, and Tsurugi pulled Tenma onto the train.

Since it was the rush hour, a lot of people were hurrying back home, to and fro, causing the train carriage to be packed full, people pressed against each other like sardines in a can. This was no exception for Tsurugi and Tenma.

Standing closely to each other, they sometimes knocked their arms and legs into the other's, which resulted in quite a few apologies.

Suddenly, the throng of people swayed to the right, pushing into Tenma. Tenma stumbled, but then felt a pair of strong arms loop themselves around his waist, holding him upright.

Looking behind him, he saw Tsurugi, blushing slightly, but not flinching from Tenma's shy glance. Tsurugi tightened his grip on Tenma's waist, not letting him go.

Tenma turned his head around to face forward. He was quite aware of the back of his head pressed into Tsurugi's chest, and the warm feeling that spread through him, of realizing that his crush was actually in such an intimate position with him. Tenma could hear Tsurugi taking slow, deep breaths, breathing warmth onto Tenma's neck.

Tsurugi couldn't believe his nerve. He had the guts to hug Matsukaze Tenma, his _crush, _in public, in front of so many people. Well, it had been a reflexive action to catch Tenma when he fell, but now… He didn't want to let Tenma go. He just wanted to stay in that position for all eternity.

Too soon, the train arrived at their station. With obvious reluctance and hesitation, Tsurugi slowly detached his arms from Tenma. Tenma sighed in the loss of the reassuring warmth that had been wrapped around him a few seconds ago.

In an awkward silence, they left the train station in the direction of the clothing shop they needed to go.

"You lead the way," said Tsurugi. His head was still spinning from the incident earlier.

Mutely, Tenma nodded. Staying close to Tsurugi, he wove through a collection of alleys and side streets.

"We're almost there. It's just around the corner," intoned Tenma after a few minutes. All of a sudden, Tenma stopped. His eyes were wide with fear.

"Hello, kiddo." A burly guy stepped in front of Tenma and Tsurugi, blocking their way. Tenma gave a squeak of fright and hid behind Tsurugi, grasping onto Tsurugi's jacket.

Another gang member appeared. He sneered. "Well, you're the smart one, innit? Ya know how ta go da long way to avoid us."

Tenma didn't say a word. The burly guy took advantage of this. "And now you just had to bring out your dear boyfriend—"he smirked at Tsurugi, "—to protect you, how adorable!"

Tsurugi's shoulders stiffened. His sharp orange eyes narrowed into a death glare, his teeth clenched and fists balled up. Tenma could feel the other's fury emitting dangerously. He'd seen and heard enough of what Tsurugi Kyousuke could do when someone insulted his family or friends.

The gang member didn't pick up the cue to back off. Stupidly, he continued. "Oh dear, it seems that I've ticked you off! You know what I'm here for, right? Dish out the money, quick, and we might just let you off with a little warning for trespassing on our territory."

"Stop it." Tsurugi's voice was dangerously calm. Gently, he pushed Tenma back. "Go," he mouthed to Tenma.

Tenma's eyes widened even more. He shook his head furiously, afraid of what was going to happen next.

"Why should we stop, monsieur?" A third gang member emerged from the shadows. More followed him, until they had covered all escape routes in and out of the alley.

Tsurugi glared. "Because, one: you don't rule this place. Two, it's none of your bloody business. And three, we live in a civilized world in which has no place for barbarians like you!"

The gang leader's face turned an ugly shade of red. He snapped his fingers. A pudgy boy with a face like a pug leered at Tsurugi. Pug-face cracked his knuckles. "Take care of him, boys!"

Quickly, Tsurugi snatched Tenma's backpack and took out the soccer ball that was inside. Then, he pressed the bag back to Tenma, and gave him a hard shove, enough to push Tenma past the gang leader and get to the safety of the shop. "Go, now!"

Tenma stared in awestruck horror at the chaos that was engaging in the alley, the dark world of danger he had just left behind. "Tsurugi?" he called, his voice barely audible over the sounds of grunts and scuffing. "Tsurugi!"

"Keshin, Kensei Lancelot!" There were loud yelps as the dark alley was lit up by the aura of Tsurugi's keshin. "Armed! Death Sword!"

Yells and screams were followed up by a blast. Tenma risked another peek at the alley fight. The gang members had all fainted, and the ground around them was smoking and charred.

Only one single figure remained standing, his keshin disappearing, one foot on the soccer ball. "Are you okay, Tenma?"

Tenma gave a squeak of horror. There were a few cuts on Tsurugi's face, and a purpling bruise on his left cheekbone. But he was smiling at Tenma.

The shopkeeper popped her head out. "Goodness, it's just you, Tenma! I was sure that the gang members had come back—" She noticed Tsurugi, limping slightly towards them. "What happened to you, young man?"

Tsurugi and Tenma were silent. The shopkeeper frowned, crossing her hands. "You'd better come inside and explain." They obliged, and followed the shopkeeper.

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/yawn/ I've finally got this done... Now I've got to type out bits for the class newspaper... Tata~ Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, guys! I'm cheating in my order of publishing fanfictions~

J: Too right you are! You should've been updating Literally or Ghost first.

Ghost is next up, I promise! Actually, I've done both of them in one go.

J: Disclaimer!

Tenma: Roze Hime-sama does not own IE or any of it's characters. They all belong to Level-5.

Enjoy! P.S. Vote in my poll!

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Not Alone Ch.3

"Ow!" Tsurugi winced as the shopkeeper used alcohol to clean his wounds.

The shopkeeper sat back and admired her handiwork. "There, now you're better!" Standing up, she offered a cup of tea to Tenma and Tsurugi.

Tsurugi accepted the cup gratefully, and took a gratifying sip. As he felt the tea fill his body with warmth, he sighed and closed his eyes. The gang members had given him quite a few punches and kicks, accompanied by scratching and clawing, almost gouging his eyes out before Tsurugi had the opportunity to use Tenma's soccer ball.

Meanwhile, Tenma was slumped in a couch, in a total state of shock. His eyes were wide, and his body was shaking.

Tsurugi noticed this, and abandoning his cup of tea, he limped over to Tenma. "Hey, the gang's gone," Tsurugi reassured Tenma. "You're safe."

Tenma looked up at him with worried eyes. "What were you thinking? You got hurt fighting them…"

Tsurugi shook his head slightly. "What matters is that you're fine and unhurt."

Tenma closed his eyes again. Why on earth did Tsurugi have to care about him so much, to the extent of getting hurt for him? He didn't deserve Tsurugi Kyousuke. No, definitely not.

"Hey, Tenma-kun! Didn't you say that you were here for Aki's clothes?" The shopkeeper asked.

Tenma snapped to attention and stopped daydreaming. "Hai."

"Well, I've put them in the back storeroom, you know where they are, huh? At the usual place."

Tenma nodded. Slowly, he rose up to get the clothes. The door of the storeroom swung close behind him.

The shopkeeper sighed. "You, young man, shouldn't be rushing off into fights." Tsurugi was about to defend himself, when she continued on. "Tenma is very worried about you. He cares for you a lot, obviously. He always mentions you in our conversations."

Tsurugi shot a look at the back storeroom. Had Tenma heard their conversation?

The shopkeeper noticed him looking and chuckled. "The walls of the storeroom are stuffed with fabrics, so I highly doubt that he can hear us."

Tsurugi shrugged and took another sip of tea.

The shopkeeper bustled around, tidying up the folded stacks of clothing in the shop. "Are you two dating?"

Spluttering loudly, Tsurugi spat his mouthful of tea out. He glanced at the shopkeeper. "Excuse me?"

"I asked if you two were dating." The shopkeeper winked at him. "Probably not yet, judging from your previous reaction."

Tsurugi looked pained. "I like him a lot…" he started.

The shopkeeper smiled. "Like? You mean love. Ah, young love is in the air!"

Tsurugi ignored her teasing words. "But I don't want Tenma to think that I'm taking advantage of his feelings. Especially when he's been having a rough time at home."

"Oh," the shopkeeper looked thoughtful. "Then you should confess to him soon!"

Tsurugi bit his lip. "I hope so."

"Dear me, Tenma's taking an awful lot of time, isn't he? Let me go and check on him." The shopkeeper rose and lumbered over to the storeroom.

Tenma heard her coming and flattened himself at the back of the storeroom, pretending to fish out Aki's bag, in which he had already located some time ago. The door swung open.

"Have you found the bag of clothes yet?" The shopkeeper poked her head around the doorframe.

Shakily, Tenma nodded. His head was spinning, trying to process the whole conversation he'd been eavesdropping on just now.

As he emerged out of the storeroom, Tsurugi flashed him a relieved smile. "Why were you taking so long?"

"I, I couldn't find it just now. It was practically buried in the pile." Tenma lied, stammering slightly.

"Alright. Is that all you need to get for Aki-san?" Tsurugi asked.

"I think so. Let's go." Tenma bowed to the shopkeeper. "Thank you! We'll be on our way now."

Tenma and Tsurugi made their way out of the shop. On their way out, the shopkeeper bent down. "Good luck!" she whispered in Tsurugi's ear. Tsurugi blushed and nodded.

On the way home, Tenma kept on shying away from Tsurugi. Tsurugi averted his gaze, his cheeks dusted with a light blush. It seemed that both of them had each other on their minds.

Arriving back at the Raimon Town, Tsurugi insisted on walking Tenma back home. When Tenma had protested, he'd just stood his ground stubbornly, saying, "It's getting dark. It's dangerous for you to be out there alone. And besides, I pass your home when I walk back to my place."

Tenma knew that Tsurugi was lying about the last part, making lame excuses, but he was grateful for the company. Too tired to argue, he'd just nodded and continued walking on.

When Aki's mansion came into sight, Tenma invited Tsurugi inside. He didn't know why he did that; maybe he was getting overrun by his feelings after listening the conversation between the shopkeeper and Tsurugi that he'd wrongfully eavesdropped on.

"Aki-nee? I'm home," said Tenma tiredly.

"Good. I was worried about you, since it's getting late—" Aki stopped ranting when she saw Tenma carrying a bag of clothes, and Tsurugi standing beside him, hands in pockets, grimacing awkwardly. "Oh, Tenma, did you go to fetch the clothes for me today?" she said, sounding shocked. "You didn't need to go there! It's too much fuss, really."

Tenma gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Aki-nee. I was with Tsurugi."

Aki raised an eyebrow. "Did you volunteered yourself to go with Tenma, Tsurugi-kun?"

Tsurugi nodded. "And uh, I thought that I'd better walk him home as well."

Aki smiled as well. "Thank you! It's nice of you to stand by Tenma and support him in these times—" she lowered her voice, so Tenma, who was busy with his bags, couldn't hear what they were talking about. "—you've heard about his parent's deaths, right?"

Tsurugi's expression sobered. "Yes. Tenma's been crying his way through the school day."

"Poor boy," Aki murmured. "Thanks for taking care of Tenma."

Tsurugi smiled, embarrassed. "It was nothing."

"You know, your support is critical in these bad times." Aki lowered her voice even more. "Tenma adores you. I'm sure you know that, right?"

To Tsurugi' horror, he felt his cheeks grow warm. He coughed. "I'd better take my leave now."

Aki patted him on the back. "Bye, Tsurugi-kun."

Tenma looked up. "Bye, Tsurugi," he said softly, blushing slightly.

Tsurugi caught his gaze, and reddened even further. "Bye," he mumbled.

Tsurugi left, and Tenma continued staring at the spot where his crush had been standing a few seconds ago.

Aki chuckled. "Two love-blinded idiots."

Tenma broke his gaze and shot Aki a half-hearted glare. "Aki-nee!"

"She's right, you know." Ichinose appeared and wrapped his arms around Aki's neck. "Have you told him about how you feel?"

Tenma glared at them both, this time with a full-powered one. "Ichinose-san, Aki-nee! Aren't you two acting the same way?"

Ichinose and Aki weren't fazed by the brunet's contradiction . "At least we know how the other feels," Ichinose said. Aki nodded in agreement.

Tenma sighed. "I'm going to bed. I'll be in my room if you need me."

He trudged up the stairs and flopped on his bed immediately. Burying his head under the covers, he relieved the day. Tsurugi asking if he was going to be alright, Tsurugi confronting him in the locker room, him sleeping on Tsurugi's shoulder, Tsurugi tickling him, Tsurugi hugging him in the train, Tsurugi telling him to run and getting hurt for him… Tenma's heart clenched painfully at that memory.

"No, I can't do this," he whispered to himself. "Today, Tsurugi tried to help me, and he got hurt. I'll have to…" he trailed off. "I'll have to avoid him tomorrow," his voice came out as a painful whisper. Lying there, Tenma closed his eyes, and the tears came, for his parents and his complicated feelings for a certain navy-blue haired striker, who had successfully captured his heart.

* * *

/yawn/ Tata! I need to fix the Author's Note for Ghost... /disappears/

J: How cool it would be, if she went like Hatsune Miku...

/zooms back/ I'm not a Vocaloid!

Tsurugi: In order to make sure she continues this earlier...

Tenma: Review, please!

J: I'm sure you guys are eager for the next chappie! /smirk/ Huh, Tsurugi, Tenma?

Tsurugi and Tenma: /blush/


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the fourth chapter of Not Alone! Hurray for KyouTen!

Tsurugi: Roze Hime-sama does not own IE or any of its characters. They all belong to Level-5. It she did own us... /shudders/

I'd make you propose to Tenma already! Enjoy~

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Not Alone Ch.4

The next day, Tenma woke up as usual, but with a feeling of dread about what he was going to do to his crush and best friend.

Mumbling a response to Aki's worried questions of his wellbeing, Tenma ate a few mouthfuls of his breakfast and walked out of the front door of Aki's mansion.

Outside, the sky was blue and clear, filling everywhere with a sense of good cheer. Unfortunately, the weather was the exact opposite of Tenma's mood. His stomach hosted nervous butterflies at the thought of deliberately hurting Tsurugi's feelings and avoiding the latter.

When Tenma arrived at school, Tsurugi was sitting at his usual seat, arms crossed behind his head, eyes closed, hosting an air of total relaxation. One could be convinced by his feigned aura of leisure, if it weren't for the various cuts on Tsurugi's face that he hadn't bothered to cover up, the dark bruise on his cheekbone, and the stiff posture of his left ankle.

"Tsurugi!" Tenma exclaimed before he could stop himself. "Are you okay?"

Opening his eyes to reveal dark amber, Tsurugi raised an eyebrow slowly. "You've been asking me that a lot," he commented.

That brought a dark blush to Tenma's cheeks. "Well, are you okay or not?!" He demanded, trying to hide his flaming cheeks.

"Whoa, Tsurugi!" Kariya had just walked in, catching a glimpse of Tsurugi's face in the progress. "What on earth happened to you?"

Tsurugi tried to shrug Kariya's concerns off. "It's nothing."

"Don't you 'it's nothing' me, Tsurugi!" Tenma couldn't hold himself back anymore. He plunked himself down in Kariya's seat, earning a squeak of protest from the tealnet. Putting a gentle hand to Tsurugi's face, he examined the navy-blue haired boy closely. "Do they still hurt?" He asked.

Tsurugi turned away slightly from Tenma. "Only a little bit," he admitted. His cheeks were turning red as well, melting his usually cool and cold demeanor. Tenma's hand was so warm against his face…

Tenma pulled away. '_Stick to the plan, stick to the plan!' _he chided himself. "You shouldn't protect me like that next time," he blurted. Uh oh.

Kariya perked up. "Protect you?" He addressed Tenma, taking advantage of the boy's response to push the defender away from his seat.

Tsurugi scowled. "I went with Tenma to get something for Aki-san," he explained. "A bunch of thugs came out and I made them go away."

Hikaru, who'd also arrived a few minutes ago with Kariya, stared at the bruise on Tsurugi's face. "You fought them?" he asked in an awed voice.

"Yeah." Tsurugi said dismissively.

"Wow!"

"Tsurugi-sama's so cool!"

"Amazing! I wish that he'd do that for me~"

Tsurugi sat bolt upright, burying his face in his arms, then proceeded to put his face onto the desk. "Oh no," he muttered.

Tsurugi's fangirls-who called themselves the 'Tsurugi Kyousuke-sama Fanclub'- swarmed around Tsurugi. And no coincidence, Tsurugi hated them.

"That was so sweet of you to help Tenma!" A girl gushed.

"Can I have your signature, please?" another girl asked.

Tsurugi sighed and closed his eyes. Curse that noisy and annoying fan club of his!

"Please leave Tsurugi alone," the teacher said, striding into the classroom.

Unwillingly, the fan girls returned to their respective seats.

Tsurugi cast a thankful glance to the teacher. Then, he turned to the seat next to him. "Ten- Wait, where's Tenma?" He asked Aoi, who was now sitting in Tenma's normal seat.

Aoi pointed. "He told me that he wanted to sit next to Shinsuke today," she said.

Tsurugi's jaw dropped. "Why would he do that?"

Aoi shrugged. "I don't know. I thought that you'd know," she replied.

Tsurugi couldn't help but feel unhappy at the notion of Tenma swapping seats to sit with someone other than him.

A few seats away, Tenma noticed Tsurugi's crestfallen expression. His heart felt cold.

"Tenma?" Shinsuke poked his friend's arm. "Are you sure that you don't want to sit next to Tsurugi?"

Jolted back to the world, Tenma nodded to the short defender. "Yeah." He murmured. "He's probably better off without me," he added in an undertone.

"What was that?!" Shinsuke looked alarmed. Had Tenma just said what he'd thought he heard?!"

Tenma flushed. "Nothing," he said. He turned his attention back to the teacher.

Shinsuke frowned. Then, he stared at the teacher without really seeing anything. Why did Tenma say that Tsurugi was better off without him? Something smelt fishy.

At practice, Tsurugi was even quieter than usual.

At lunchtime, he'd tried to sit with Tenma at the soccer club table, but Tenma had dodged past him and squeezed in between Kirino and Shindou, causing the two to look at Tenma in alarm.

"_I thought you sat with Tsurugi, Tenma?" Kirino asked._

"_What's wrong with you and Tsurugi?" Shindou wanted to know._

"_N-nothing! I just wanted to sit here today," Tenma said._

_Kirino and Shindou had exchanged worried glances, and they'd looked at Tsurugi, who could do nothing but shoot them a puzzled look._

And for the rest of the day, Tenma had avoided and ignored him as much as possible. What had he done to anger Tenma…? Sulking in one corner, Tsurugi continued divulging into all the possibilities of what he might have said or done.

Meanwhile, Tenma was quiet as well. Avoiding Tsurugi was harder than he thought it would be! This day was taking a bad turn…

"…Tenma!" Kirino shouted for the fifth time.

"Y-yes, Kirino-san?" Tenma looked up.

"Come with me," Kirino said and walked out of the locker room.

Tenma scratched his head and followed.

Kirino continued walking until he found an empty corridor. He turned to face Tenma squarely. "What's gotten into you today?" he exclaimed.

"What?" Tenma's eyes widened.

"You're not responding to anything; I called your name for five times before you could hear me." Kirino sighed. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Tenma gulped. "It's nothing."

Kirino closed his eyes. "You're not making this easier for yourself," he murmured. "It's about Tsurugi, right?"

Tenma gasped. "No!"

"Yes. You like Tsurugi." Kirino's eyes were open. "Don't deny it."

Tenma bit his lip. "What would make you say that, senpai?"

Kirino sighed again. "I think that the whole team knows. You two have always been close, which is quite a remarkable feat for Tsurugi. You know how his personality is. He's proud on the outside. He doesn't normally show his feelings openly in public. Do you understand that you have to tell him your feelings?"

Listening to Kirino talk, Tenma knew in his heart that it was true. "Hai," he said softly, bowing his head. "I understand."

"You've been avoiding Tsurugi today," noted Kirino. "Is this another one of your schemes?"

Tenma nodded, feeling ashamed.

Kirino observed the other quietly. "Why, then?"

"Did you-did you see the wounds on Tsurugi today?" Tenma asked.

"Yes." Kirino replied. "What does that have to do with you?"

"Well, yesterday afternoon, I went with Tsurugi to collect some clothes for Aki-nee. On the way to the shop, a gang of thugs appeared and they-they tried to beat me up." Tenma's eyes filled with scared tears at the memory of that event. "Tsurugi-he stepped in their way and shot a keshin shoot at them."

Kirino was a good listener. After Tenma had explained what happened, Kirino nodded. "So that's why he looks like he just lost a fight."

Tenma thumped his fist against the wall in frustration. "That's why I must avoid him! That one time he stuck with me, he got hurt, you see?" His voice had risen to a high octave.

Kirino shook his head. "You're wrong, Tenma. Since Tsurugi decided that getting hurt for you was worth it, you must live up to his expectations."

Tenma froze. "Really?"

"Yes." Kirino rested his head against the wall. "Listen. Both I and Shindou have more experience than you two. You must learn how to be unafraid of possible rejection and face reality. In other words, confess to Tsurugi, okay? Shindou will have a talk with him."

"Okay." Tenma smiled. Then, a sly smirk came across his features. "Kirino-san?"

"Yes?" Kirino stood up straight.

"How about you and Shindou-san?" Tenma was grinning now.

"T-tenma!" Kirino glared at his kouhai.

"Since I'm going to face Tsurugi, maybe you and Shindou-senpai should do the same!" Tenma brightened.

"I—"Kirino gave up and shot Tenma another glare. "Fine, you win."

Tenma smiled. "Good luck to both of us, then!"

They walked back to soccer practice, both of them in high spirits.

* * *

One more chapter until they get a happy ending!

Tenma: Reviews, please!


	5. Chapter 5

Final chappie!

J: Wow, you really are in a rush to get things done, aren't you?

Yep! KyouTenKyouTenKyouTenKyouTen~

Tsurugi: Shut up!

Tenma: O-oi, calm down, Kyousuke.

Disclaimer! I don't own IE or any of its characters!

J: Enjoy!

* * *

Not Alone Ch.5

Tsurugi gritted his teeth and tried to stand up again. His left ankle was really painful.

"Tsurugi!" Shindou called Tsurugi over.

"Yes, Captain?" Tsurugi struggled to get up, but he fell down. He cursed loudly.

Shindou ran over and helped him up. "You'd better not participate in practice today, Tsurugi."

"No! I can still—"A sharp jarring pain shot up his leg. He winced and inhaled loudly.

"Listen to me, Tsurugi." Shindou's eyes were dark and he wore an expression of seriousness. "Your body can't take the training. Get some rest. You'll be hurting yourself even more if you persist like this."

Tsurugi sighed. "Fine."

He allowed Shindou to lead him to the locker room, his body leaning on Shindou's for support. Tsurugi sat down heavily. "Get back to practice, Captain."

"No, it's okay. I need to have a word with you." Shindou poked his head out of the locker room. "Carry on practicing without me!" he yelled.

Shindou turned his attention back to the navy-haired striker. "What's going on between you and Tenma?"

Tsurugi swallowed painfully. So Shindou had noticed. "I don't know," he said glumly.  
"Tenma's been ignoring and avoiding me all day long."

Shindou sat down beside Tsurugi. "So Tenma's the one who's being difficult," Shindou muttered.

Tsurugi felt like screaming out loud. "Of course it's him!"

Shindou gave Tsurugi a wry smile. "Sorry."

"What?" Tsurugi shot Shindou an odd look. "Sorry for what?!"

"Sorry for doubting you," Shindou explained. "I and Kirino thought that you were the one who was ignoring the feelings of Tenma."

"Well, you guys were wrong." Tsurugi stretched out his long legs. "Wait, what? The feelings of Tenma?"

Shindou coughed. "You know he likes you. And you know about your own feelings. So what's stopping your confession?"

"I-"Tsurugi stopped, considering his words carefully. "In his situation…" He trailed off awkwardly. "I don't want him to think that I'm taking advantage of his feelings."

"Wow, I never knew that you were that caring to Tenma," said Shindou gently.

"Yeah, you guys have never known the real me," grumbled Tsurugi.

"But Tenma knows the real Tsurugi Kyousuke." Shindou said cheekily.

Tsurugi put both elbows onto his knees and sighed. "I know," he said, unwillingly admitting defeat.

"So. When are you going to confess?" Shindou asked.

"It's none of your business!" exclaimed Tsurugi, getting flustered.

"Well, I and Kirino are going to be helping you two," Shindou patted the younger boy lightly on the back. "So, it is our business."

Tsurugi smirked. "I appreciate your help, senpai, but what about you?"

Shindou looked confused. "Me?"

"You should confess to Kirino~" Tsurugi whispered, smirking.

It was Shindou's turn to get flustered, his cheeks lighting up, becoming two red spots. "Wha-what do you mean?" he asked, trying to play dumb.

"Don't tell me you don't know," Tsurugi stated, crossing his arms. "You and Kirino-san love each other!" He said, teasing the brunet midfielder.

Shindou could do nothing but open his mouth and gape at Tsurugi, looking like a fish.

Tsurugi took Shindou's silence as a positive response. Nodding to himself, he smirked knowingly. "If Tenma comes out of his shell and confesses to me, you have to confess to Kirino and ask him out in front of the whole soccer club!"

Shindou sprang up from the bench. "What? I am so not going to do that. Besides, how will I know if you guys finally get together?"

Tsurugi fished around in his pocket and pulled out his sleek red mobile phone. "Technology, captain. I've got your phone number."

Shindou stared. "How did you get my number?"

"From Facebook." Tsurugi replied.

Shindou groaned and face-palmed himself. 'Note to self: Do not post personal information on the internet in case of possible blackmail,' he thought.

"So, what do you say?" Tsurugi was still smirking.

Shindou found himself nodding. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'll call you. Then, you get ready to confess in front of the whole soccer club and prepare a little speech for Kirino." Tsurugi stuck the phone back into his pocket. "Of course, no cheating. You'll have to wait until we arrive."

"We?" Shindou questioned.

"Me and Tenma."

Shindou sighed. He knew that there was no way to get out of this. "Fine."

Tsurugi gave Shindou a really wide smile. "Ganbatte! Captain~" he added slyly.

Shindou glowered and helped Tsurugi up from the bench again. "Come on. I want you to observe practice from the bench outside."

Tsurugi obeyed, and let Shindou pull him out.

Meanwhile, Kirino and Tenma had gone back to practice. When Kirino saw Shindou, he walked over to his friend.

"What are the statistics, Shindou?" he asked in a low voice.

Shindou felt himself blushing at the close distance between him and his crush. "All going according to our plan."' That is, leaving out the part of me confessing to you in front of the soccer club…' thought Shindou darkly.

Kirino didn't notice the midfielder's red cheeks. "Good. Let's get back to practice."

Kirino ran off, leaving Shindou behind. Heaving a sigh, Shindou followed him, mentally planning his confession all the way.

Tenma wasn't concentrating. The talk with Kirino earlier hadn't helped sooth his nerves. The butterflies were growing in amount, filling his stomach with more unease.

Tenma shot a glance at Tsurugi, who was observing practice from the bench. Having injured his left foot in the fight yesterday, it seemed that Shindou had ordered him to take a rest today.

Tsurugi suddenly looked up, his eyes meeting contact with Tenma's. Tenma stared into those warm amber eyes, the constant fluttering of butterflies getting stronger.

Tenma gulped and looked away. He had to focus on practice now. No reason to get more nervous, right?

"Tenma!" Shinsuke passed him the ball.

Tenma caught the ball neatly in the air. "Got it!"

"Tenma! Shinsuke! Work on your basic techniques again." Endou's voice rang out.

Tenma sighed. It would be another long practice. Shaking his head slightly, he passed the ball back to Shinsuke, and they continued practicing.

All the way through practice, Tenma could feel Tsurugi's gaze on him. It was warm and comforting, filling him with strength.

Tsurugi yawned and sat back. When exactly was practice ending? He wanted to get up and move around.

At the end of practice, Shindou, Tenma and Tsurugi were growing restless. Once Endou-kantoku signaled the end of practice, Shindou was the first to rush into the bathroom. Tenma followed suit, mopping at his face with a fluffy white towel.

Before Kirino could step inside the bathroom, Tsurugi stopped him. "What do I do now, senpai?" he whispered.

Kirino looked confused for a moment. Then, realizing what Tsurugi meant, his face cleared and he smiled. "Wait in the locker room," he told Tsurugi.

Tsurugi nodded. "Thanks."

As Kirino turned away, he could swear Tsurugi had muttered a good luck to him. Kirino shook his head. Good luck for what? To heck with that good riddance.

Tenma showered quickly. He was really anxious to get alone with Tsurugi.

Shindou did the same thing, only he was feeling nervous, prone to start sweating buckets of sweat.

/Beep/ Kirino's phone vibrated. So did the other phones of the soccer club members.

Kirino moved to pick his phone up, traces of shampoo still visible in his hair. "What's this?" he asked, sounding astonished.

"What is it, Kirino-san?" asked Hikaru.

"Stay in the clubroom for some good entertainment after your baths. Tsurugi Kyousuke," read Ichino out loud.

Shindou blushed again. "Why would he send something like this?"

"Captain, why are you blushing?" Kariya smirked.

"It's nothing!" Shindou said, annoyed.

Thankfully, Tenma had already picked up his things and dashed out of the bathroom. He didn't hear any of the commotion in the bathroom.

Tenma set his bag down on one of the racks outside the locker room. He just stood there, pondering where Tsurugi would be.

"Maybe he's gone home already," muttered Tenma, feeling depressed. A few droplets of water hung on his wet hair, damp from the shower.

"Who's gone home?" A cool voice asked. It was coming from the locker room.

Tenma jumped. "W-who's there?"

Tenma heard an amused chuckle. "None other than the person you're looking for," the voice commented.

Tenma flushed. "Tsurugi!"

"Come in." Tsurugi said.

Tenma swore that he could hear Tsurugi laughing softly. He blushed even more and entered the locker room.

There he was, leaning against a locker door, looking cool and unbothered as hell. His head was bowed, pale hands crossed together.

Tenma's heart leapt. "Tsurugi," he whispered.

For a long, dragging moment, they just stared at each other. The tension and nervous energy in the room was so thick that it could be dug out with a spoon.

Tsurugi relaxed. He could do this, yeah? Just keep his head calm, and he could do it. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth. "Why were you looking for me?"

Tenma looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I… Erm…"

Suddenly, Tsurugi was across the room in an instant. His hands were pressing into Tenma's shoulders, pressing the smaller boy into the wall. "Tenma. Why on earth are you avoiding me?" His amber eyes were gentle and tender.

Tenma's chest lifted and fell down rapidly. He knew that he wasn't going anywhere in this situation.

Looking straight into Tsurugi's eyes, he swallowed. "Because… Because I love you." he choked out.

Staring into Tenma's eyes, Tsurugi bent down and pressed his mouth to Tenma's. That action alone was enough to speak for them.

Tenma slowly sneaked his hands around Tsurugi's waist. A few tears slid down his cheeks.

Tsurugi tasted salt on Tenma's lips, and pulled away. Gently, he put a hand to Tenma's face and smeared the tears with his thumb. "Don't cry, Tenma."

More tears appeared, and Tenma buried his head in Tsurugi's chest.

"Why are you crying?" asked Tsurugi softly. He held Tenma tightly to his body.

"I thought—I thought that… After my parent's deaths, I would be…" Tenma's voice was muffled by the fabric of Tsurugi's shirt, but he could still hear Tenma's words. "I would be all alone."

Tsurugi hugged him even tighter. "Silly," he murmured. "You were never alone." Tsurugi grasped Tenma's chin, forcing the brunet to look up. Tsurugi kissed him again, this time with more passion and dominance.

The remaining tears ran down Tenma's cheeks, disappearing. Now, he was not alone. Tenma felt Tsurugi's hands wrap around his waist. Responding to his boyfriend's action, he clutched onto Tsurugi's neck.

"I love you, Kyousuke." Tenma whispered into Tsurugi's mouth.

Tenma could feel Tsurugi smile against his lips. "I love you too, Tenma."

* * *

Ah, how sweet!

J: Wait, what about Shindou and Kirino?

Well, I'll be writing their part and posting it as a seperate one-shot!

J: Oh, so I see...

So that's the end of Not Alone! Thank you all for the support~


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